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Charles Gounod operas
• Faust (1859)
• Roméo et Juliette (1867)

“Faust” by Charles Gounod

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Faust: Side-by-Side French–English Opera Libretto
Paperback libretto with side-by-side translation

Discover one of the great masterpieces of French opera.

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Premiere / date of written: 19 March 1859

Charles Gounod’s Faust is a five-act opera with a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Carré’s play Faust et Marguerite and inspired by Goethe’s Faust. The opera received its first performance at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris on 19 March 1859.


The story follows the aging scholar Faust, who, despairing of his life, makes a bargain with Méphistophélès: his soul in exchange for youth and the fulfillment of his desires. Restored to youth, Faust becomes captivated by the innocent Marguerite, setting in motion a tragedy of love, betrayal, guilt, and redemption.


Although initially only moderately successful, Faust was extensively revised and soon became one of the most popular operas of the nineteenth century. Its best-known numbers include Marguerite’s Jewel Song, Méphistophélès’ Song of the Golden Calf, and the soldiers’ chorus Gloire immortelle de nos aïeux. The opera remains one of Gounod’s most enduring works and a cornerstone of the French operatic repertoire.

Libretti

French–English side-by-side translation

# Language Authors
1 French Jules Barbier, Michel Carré
2 German Julia Behr
3 English
4 Russian П. И. Калашников

original libretto
side-by-side of the original libretto

Notes on the Libretto

While preparing the different texts of Faust, one of the most interesting problems appeared in Act V. The opera exists in several forms, the result of revisions made after its first performance at the Théâtre-Lyrique in 1859. When Faust reached the Paris Opéra in 1869, Gounod added the large ballet for the Walpurgis Night scene.


This creates a noticeable difference between libretti and recordings. The French text used here includes Faust’s “Doux nectar” and the following invocation to pleasure, “Volupté, devant tes charmes,” before the vision of Marguerite appears. In many performances, however, the seven-part Walpurgis ballet is heard in this part of the scene. For that reason, the ballet is kept separately in the libretto, with a note explaining where it belongs in the action.


There were also several smaller inconsistencies to correct while comparing and formatting the texts. Marthe’s surname, for example, appeared as both Schwerlein and Schwerdtlein; Schwerlein has been used consistently. Character names, French apostrophes, and a number of minor punctuation differences were also standardized.


These small details are easy to overlook, but in Faust they sit alongside a much larger problem: the opera itself continued to change for years after its premiere.

History

March 19, 1859 World premiere of Charles Gounod's opera "Faust" at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris.
August 27, 1866 Birth of Danish tenor Erik Schmedes in Copenhagen; he debuted as Valentin in Gounod’s *Faust* and became notable in Wagnerian roles at the Met.
October 22, 1883 The Metropolitan Opera opened its first season in New York City with Gounod's "Faust" (sung in Italian).
October 22, 1883 Met Opera opening night documented in house materials: the first Metropolitan Opera House (39th St. & Broadway) opened with "Faust."
November 17, 1917 The Metropolitan Opera opens a new Joseph Urban–designed production of Gounod's 'Faust.'
December 22, 1965 On 1965-12-22, Montserrat Caballé made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Marguerite in Gounod’s "Faust" (the same performance also marked Sherrill Milnes’s Met debut).

You might also enjoy

Similar Theme

  • Don Giovanni (1787) — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Both stories connect seduction with the supernatural and with punishment. Faust makes the bargain explicit; Don Giovanni simply refuses to repent.
  • Macbeth (1847) — Giuseppe Verdi Both begin with ambition and temptation, then bring the supernatural into a story of moral collapse. Macbeth is much darker from the beginning.
  • Tannhäuser (1845) — Richard Wagner Both deal with temptation, sensual desire, guilt, and the possibility of redemption. Wagner approaches those ideas through medieval legend rather than Goethe.

Good Next Choice

  • Roméo et Juliette (1867) — Charles Gounod Another Gounod opera with a very direct love story and a gift for memorable lyrical scenes. Roméo et Juliette leaves the supernatural world of Faust behind.

Beginner-Friendly Alternative

  • The Magic Flute (1791) — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart For a lighter introduction to opera with magic and supernatural forces, The Magic Flute is much easier going while still mixing comedy with serious ideas.

Contrasting Companion

  • Medea (1797) — Luigi Cherubini Both include supernatural forces and terrible consequences after love goes wrong. Faust still leaves room for salvation; Medea offers almost none.

Same Source Author

  • Le chalet (1834) — Adolphe Adam Both operas trace their stories to Goethe: Faust to his Faust and Le chalet to the Singspiel Jery und Bätely.

Tags

Style / Movement: Late Romantic
Structure: Full-length Number opera
Source: After Goethe Based on literature Based on a play
Theme: Supernatural
Discovery: Beginner-friendly Crowd-pleaser
Place: Germany

Related operas

More by Charles Gounod

Also in French

Images

Notable videos

  Maya Plisteskaya dances on Gounod's Walpurgis Night

Printed Editions

Year Edition Publisher Buy
2026 Faust: Side-by-Side French–English Opera Libretto DM’s Opera Series Amazon.com

Audio recordings

Year Cast Conductor,
Opera chorus and orchestra		 Label,
Comment		 Buy
1953

DM's pick

 Nicolai Gedda,
Boris Christoff,
Victoria de los Ángeles		 André Cluytens
Théâtre National de l' Opéra de Paris Orchestra and Chorus
 EMI Cat: CMS 5 65256-2; Malibran Cat: CMS5652562 (mono)

 Amazon.com

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